


Fluctuation

by MistressofMimics



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Braids, Brief Female Loki, Brother-Brother Relationship, Canon Gay Relationship, Complete, F/M, Headcanon, International Fanworks Day 2021, Interspecies Relationship, Loki has Braids, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Mourning, One Shot, Post-Loki: Where Mischief Lies, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Queerplatonic Relationships, Sadness, Shapeshifting, Theoki, Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Time Skips, Unrequited Lust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29303877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressofMimics/pseuds/MistressofMimics
Summary: Theo helps Loki deal with fluctuating emotions.
Relationships: Grandmaster/Loki (Marvel), Theodore "Theo" Bell/Loki, Thor & Loki (Marvel)
Kudos: 5
Collections: Interspecies





	Fluctuation

Theo frowned as he awakened to the sound of harsh sobbing. He pushed himself out from under the warm blanket then crawled over Loki's unusually messy side of the bed. "What's wrong, love? Was it a nightmare?" 

One of the Scrappers had pulled a Chitauri energy rifle on Loki yesterday, which had triggered a bout of madness. He'd barely been able to talk Loki out of slitting the Scrapper's throat. Once they'd gotten away Loki had started shaking and mumbling about Thanos and fire and something sweet as pain. Not even a cup of honeyed tea and a hot shower had really calmed Loki down. For all he knew, Loki'd lain awake all night too scared to sleep. 

"T-Thor's dead, Hela killed him. Maybe I should just stop fighting my destiny, Theo. I mean, Mother, Father, Thor, everyone, everyone dies because of me any way." When Loki looked over his shoulder at him, the emerald eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

"I'm so sorry. I know he meant a lot to you, in spite of all your fights." He leaned down to press a kiss against Loki's cheek. "Not everyone's dead though, I'm still here."

"Yes, but for almost 7 years, I thought Anderton had drowned you because I wasn't there to protect you. You know, I always keep, kept, a few locks of Thor's hair, just in case the big oaf decided to run off after some enemy during a battle and got lost, so I could find him. In ancient Asgard when there was no body to bury or burn they would braid one of the dead warrior's locks into their own so the spirit would still be honoured and wouldn't roam the Cosmos as a ghost or, at worst, one of the restless dead. Thor did it for me, I need to do it for him."

"Of course. Would it be improper of me to participate in the Warrior's Prayer? I know I never actually met him, but it felt like I knew him from all your stories."

"Not at all. I think he would have liked you, after he stopped laughing and asked what book you crawled out of. Can I ask one thing for after we are done with the rituals?"

"Whatever you want."

"Would you mind very much if I was a woman today? It just, it feels like I can deal with things better sometimes in female form."

"You know me, I can never say no to magic."

* * *

Two hours later, Theo returned Loka's wan smile and waved across the dining hall. Only to cover his mouth, and his laugh, a few seconds later as the Grandmaster walked straight into the table.

"Ow. Who, uh, who's that? Theo, do you, err, do you know if our God of Mischief has a female twin? She's gorgeous and lean, so well, mm-hmm, well-proportioned."

"No twin, that's our Loki/Loka over there. I mean, I'm not physically attracted to her but I still love her because of her personality." 

The Grandmaster raised an eyebrow at him. "Not physically attracted? So, unless she retains her male parts you don't have sex?" The older man walked around the table to take his spot at the center of the dais...and stare at Loka's leather-clad arse as she put some ultra synthetic grapes beside the bowls of equally synthetic oatmeal.

"Yep. That's one thing you have to adapt to when you're in love with a shapeshifter, one day they feel male, another they wake up feeling female and sometimes they feel like being both at the same time."

"You really don't have sex? N-No handies, no rutting, nothing at all?!"

"Nothing at all." Yeesh, Loka was right, the man was completely obsessed with sex, regardless of his fluctuating sanity levels. At least Loka's moments normally only triggered via some violent action/reaction and/or being unexpectedly shoved off something. Two mugs of tea floated after Loka like loyal dogs as she turned and strode up to them from the buffet table. 

"Here you are, darling." She pecked him on the lips before she set the heavily laden tray down then sat between him and the Grandmaster. "Good morning, friend Grandmaster. Is something the matter?" 

Theo murmured his thanks as he took his bowl of oatmeal, a plate of buttered toast and a few grapes while his tea set itself down before him.

Unsurprisingly, the Grandmaster's mind was still boggling at Loka's hair and softer features. "Good morning, Loki, I'm sorry, I should start over. Good morning, Loka. Nothing's wrong, I, uh, I was just thinking how nice your hair is. I mean, the little braids and the silver clasps is, well, it's just gorgeous. It'd look really nice in male form too."

"Well, thank you. I've been thinking of doing braids again for awhile but I kept putting it off and finally figured today was the day." Not that either of them would mention Thor's death or that the braid was only visible if one already knew. "Oh, I see someone painted their nails this morning, very nice."

"Heh, well, it looked so nice on you yesterday that I just had to try it. Did you two want to come to the Entertainment Hall tomorrow afternoon? I'm, uh, I'm gonna be putting on a bit of a show."

While Loka would say yes to stay on the Grandmaster's good side, he politely declined. Sakaar might not have had much of a physical library but with how old it was there was a chance he might find some Rjambjornstein transcripts hiding somewhere. It turned out that declining the Grandmaster's invite meant he missed his first chance of being able to meet Thor, who had somehow survived having Hela shove his head through Bifrost and into empty space.

At least a few days later, with him, Loki and Thor all safe on the Statesman there'd be plenty of time for introductions. 


End file.
